MANILA, Philippines – The business process outsourcing industry has estimated that 90,000 new jobs will be created this year as companies abroad continue to seek lower costs and tap the Philippines for skilled workers.

In an interview, industry association head Oscar Sanez noted that the target new jobs this year is higher than the 74,000 actual jobs created in 2009.

Last year, the original forecast was 100,000 new jobs, but the industry players had to reduce this as some clients faced business uncertainties amid the global economic slowdown then.

Nonetheless, the new target of 90,000 this 2010 was announced as new graduates from universities and colleges in the country start looking for jobs starting March.

Sanez said that of the 90,000 target jobs, call center agents will account for 55% while non-voice service agents will fill up the remaining 45%.

The call center segment, usually manned by agents with flawless English facility, accounted for bulk of industry jobs at 280,000 in 2009.

However, the increasing share of non-voice agents to the total manpower count of the industry indicates the Philippines’ edge of having skilled workers, according to Sanez.

Among the non-voice services, the top jobs are in accounting, human resource, engineering, software and I.T. support, and medical transcriptionists. The services of Pharmacists and lawyers are also in demand.

The BPO is one of the few bright spots in the country. It has been registering double-digit growths for years.

Industry players expect revenues to grow to around $9 billion this year, a 25% growth from 2009 when revenues reached $7.2 billion. Last year, the industry’s growth was 19%, slower than the 24% uptick in 2008.

Economic planners classify BPO under "business services," which contribute about 2.1% to gross domestic product. - with a report from Apples Jalandoni, ABS-CBN News